MOMocrats™

Must-See TV for understanding U.S. role in recent Iranian history

On Monday June 22 at 9 p.m, Eastern, the National Geographic Channel will air a new documentary, Iran and the West. About the relationship between Iran and the United States since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the film features interviews with several key players from some of the most significant interactions between the U.S. and Iran over the past thirty years, including former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, U.S. officials from the Clinton administration and the Bush administration, U.N. diplomats, European negotiators, and even one of the Iranian students who once held American citizens hostage at the American Embassy in Iran.

A Green Revolution of Another Kind: Iranian Protests on Social Media for a Fair and Free Election

Who else is sitting home late on a Friday night, twittering, but a mom of a small kid? I'd like to say I was out doing something tragically hip, or even out somewhere, but... this past weekend, I was at home and swapping quips on the nightly carnivalesque Burning Man For Shut-Ins called Twitter.

Half a world away, Iranians were turning out in record numbers to vote for their new president. Very rapidly, tweets among my lefty-liberalish friends began to highlight Iranian sources of news for the results of the election. (The #tcot people, or Top Conservatives on Twitter, seemed not as attuned to what was happening. Some speculations why here.)

Light chitchat turned to concern as many of the people I follow and I realized that many Iranians found serious anomalies in the way votes were counted. Very quickly, it seemed that the most helpful thing one could do as a westerner sympathetic to the goals of Iranians demanding a free and fair election, with a re-vote if necessary, was to retweet the as-it-happens tweets of Iranians, which could be viewed under the hashtag #iranelections.

Why Obama is right not to openly pick a side in the Iranian election conflict

Women protest Iranian election results - Photo by Farhad Rajabali. Creative Commons license. Source: Flickr.

When protests erupted across Iran over the weekend in response to disputed Presidential election results, the Obama administration issued some very delicate statements.

On Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people."

On Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden said, "There's an awful lot of question about how this election was run. And we'll see. I mean, we're just waiting to see. We don't have, we don't have enough facts to note— to make a firm judgment."

And President Obama himself issued no official statement until today, when he said:

Obviously all of us have been watching the news from Iran.  And I want to start off by being very clear that it is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be; that we respect Iranian sovereignty and want to avoid the United States being the issue inside of Iran, which sometimes the United States can be a handy political football— or discussions with the United States.

Having said all that, I am deeply troubled by the violence that I've been seeing on television.  I think that the democratic process— free speech, the ability of people to peacefully dissent— all those are universal values and need to be respected.  And whenever I see violence perpetrated on people who are peacefully dissenting, and whenever the American people see that, I think they're, rightfully, troubled.

Iran's current president, conservative hardliner Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's claims to have won the election in a landslide— despite pre-election polls that showed him in a neck-and-neck race with his more moderate opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi; despite widespread reports of voting irregularities on election day, and despite anecdotal reports from several communities that their own records from election day do not match the officially released national results— beggars credibility.

And the current regime's iron-fisted reaction to the post-election protests— expelling international journalists from the country, blocking foreign television and radio broadcasts, blocking text messaging and access to certain websites across Iran to disrupt communications, and arresting and shooting at protesters— totally undermines whatever credibility the Iranian government had as a supposedly democratic state. 

Not to mention the fact that, given our country's recent history of turbulent and frustrating relations with Ahmedinejad, our own government leaders almost certainly expect U.S. interests would be better served if Mousavi were declared the true winner.

So why the careful wording? Why hasn't the administration denounced Ahmedinejad and come out in loud, open support of Mousavi's backers, who are currently battling fierce government opposition to demand their right to free and fair elections?

Because if Obama wants Mousavi's supporters to succeed, the last thing he should do is explicitly declare his support for them. 

Will Efforts to Halt Spread of Swine Flu Be Hampered By U.S. Sick Leave Policy?

As part of their effort to contain the spread of the strain of swine flu that has reportedly killed at least 149 people in Mexico, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is advising Americans who feel sick with flu-like symptoms to avoid public places and stay home from work or school. Parents are advised to keep sick children out of schools and daycare centers until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours.

But with no federal regulations requiring employers to grant their employees paid sick leave, many American workers may find it difficult to take such advice. Due to exemptions for part-time employees and employees of small businesses, only about half of all working Americans are even eligible for unpaid medical leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

In contrast, worldwide, 145 other countries mandate that employers provide their employees with some sort of paid sick leave or emergency medical leave; the United States has one of the least generous medical leave policies in the industrialized world, ranking 21st among industrialized nations. 

Low-income, hourly wage workers like retail store employees, restaurant wait staff, and child care center workers — some of the very people most in contact with the public on a daily basis as an integral part of their jobs — are among those least likely to have paid sick leave, or even the ability to take unpaid days off to recuperate from illness or care for their children without seriously risking their employment. What will these workers do if they or their children become ill, and they are forced to choose between having enough money for rent and food, or following the CDC guidelines?  

MomsRising recently posted about the potential negative impact of U.S. sick leave policy on government efforts to control the spread of the swine flu, and has created an online petition asking the U.S. government create new legislation to require employers to allow their employees time off for legitimate health emergencies in the interests of public health.

Letter campaign succeeded in prompting Afghan review of Shia law stripping women of human rights

Dear MOMocrat Readers,

Urge President Karzai to fullfill his promise to revise the draft of Shia Law that would strip Afghan Women and Girls of their Human Rights

The thousands of letters you sent asking Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Afghan Ambassador to the U.S. Said Jawad to review the draft of a Shia family law that would strip Afghan women and girls of their basic human rights have made an impact! Karzai and Jawad have announced that the law will be revised in accordance with the Afghan constitution, which guarantees equal rights for women. Now, make sure Karzai fulfills his pledge.

Last week, hundreds of Afghan women in Kabul publicly protested the law, even though they were outnumbered by counter protesters and were pelted with small stones. We must stand with these courageous women.

Afghan women leaders in Parliament, in the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and in non-profit organizations have continued to fight the proposed law as violation of the Afghan constitution and the basic human rights of women. We must lend our voices in support of our Afghan sisters.

While the Afghan government is revising the law, let President Karzai hear from you and as many people as you can reach. Now that he has pledged to revise the draconian draft law, we need to make sure that revisions to the law fully remove provisions that would restrict women from leaving their homes, working, going to school and obtaining medical care without their husbands' permission. We must also ensure that provisions granting child custody only to men and revoking women's right to refuse sex with their husbands are eliminated.

Join us in ensuring that all provisions that violate human rights are removed from the law or the law is eliminated.

Please send your message to President Karzai while his government is revising this oppressive law to ensure that the basic principals of human rights are maintained.

For Women's Lives,

Eleanor Smeal
President

P.S. And please join our Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls. As the Taliban have gained strength in Afghanistan over 1000 girls' schools have been destroyed. Teachers have been murdered - some right in front of their students. Acid is being thrown on girls' faces on their way to or from school. As the US shifts it attention to Afghanistan, we must do all we can to make sure Afghan women and girls are not forgotten!

Breaking News: Obama Response to North Korea Missile Launch

President Obama issued the following statement from the Czech Republic, in response to the news of North Korea's missile testing:

North Korea's development and proliferation of ballistic missile technology pose a threat to the northeast Asian region and to international peace and security.  The launch today of a Taepo-dong 2 missile was a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which expressly prohibits North Korea from conducting ballistic missile-related activities of any kind.  With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations.

We will immediately consult with our allies in the region, including Japan and the Republic of Korea, and members of the U.N. Security Council to bring this matter before the Council.  I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions.

Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is a high priority for my administration.  The United States is fully committed to maintaining security and stability in northeast Asia and we will continue working for the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the Six-Party Talks.  The Six-Party Talks provide the forum for achieving denuclearization, reducing tensions, and for resolving other issues of concern between North Korea, its four neighbors, and the United States.  North Korea has a pathway to acceptance in the international community, but it will not find that acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and abides by its international obligations and commitments.

North Korea last launched missiles in 2006, which led to UN Resolution 1718.  This launch failed after 40 seconds, landing the missiles 800 miles off the coast of Japan.

"I don't speak Japanese, but I do speak hammered..." [Rachel Maddow is Awesome]

Japan's "Timothy Geithner" copes with his country's financial crisis like so many other people apparently do: by getting completely shit-faced.

Kucinich criticizes Israel. [It's about time someone did.]

He also wants a UN probe. From The Hill:

Kucinich said the perpetrators of attacks against Israel should be brought to justice, but that Israel “cannot create a war against an entire people in order to attempt to bring to justice the few who are responsible.” “All this was, and is, disproportionate, indiscriminate mass violence in violation of international law,” Kucinich said in a statement. “Israel is not exempt from international law and must be held accountable.”

I admire Dennis Kucinich for speaking out and raising the questions that many of us have been silently pondering, namely: has this action been a proportionate response to a series of unfortunate events?

This whole situation makes me question what democracy is. What "justified retaliation" means. What terrorism means. Who is right and who is wrong. Why can't we feel compassion for Palestinians without people shouting, "But what about Israelis!" in our faces. And vice versa. Compassion for one side does not negate support for the other.

It has been said that we are all stuck in the web of injustice, whether we are those who starve or those who feast. Peace can never be achieved when there is a constant threat of violence against innocent civilians from both sides.

My thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this tragic situation, especially the innocent victims who had no choice.

—Stefania Pomponi Butler

Global Food Crisis: Haiti

In the spring of 2008, food riots erupted in Haiti as skyrocketing grain prices made it almost impossible for average citizens of Haiti to afford the imported rice and wheat the impoverished island nation depends upon.

Over the summer, Haiti was pummeled by two consecutive hurricanes, Hanna and Ike, which destroyed homes, warehouses and workplaces, and flooded crops.

And now, with the global economic crisis stifling trade, challenging many governments' ability to provide for their own citizens, and negatively impacting charitable donation, children in Haiti are dying of malnutition. 

One American woman who is working to save Haiti's malnourished children is Dr. Patricia Wolff, a professor of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine, and the executive director of Meds & Food for Kids, a non-profit organization that provides supplemental nutrition for children in Haiti through a life-saving nutritionally enhanced peanut butter product known in Haiti as Medika Mamba.

Dr. Wolff, who is in Haiti right now feeding starving children, was kind enough to take time out of her very busy schedule to discuss with me the situation in Haiti, and some of the challenges currently facing her organization.

"This Time Must Be Different"

The weather foretold it in Chicago. Rare is it to feel the warmth of southerly winds on an early November night in this city. Rarer still was the occasion of welcoming a president who means so much to the people he has set out to serve.

The gates were said to open at 8:30 p.m., but organizers let the crowd of ticket holders in early. Looking around at the faces of those men and women, some with children already sleepy, making their way down to Grant Park's Hutchinson Field, one could spy a cautious kind of hope. A spark fired within. But, the full blown excitement was yet to be uncorked.

On this election night, merchants took full advantage to sell all and any Barack Obama merchandise, from the rhinestone studded to the more traditional. Most favored were items bearing "President Barack Obama."

Chicago, the city that has defiantly cheered its beloved and beleaguered sports teams to victory and faced an unequal share of bitter defeat couldn't help but feel minor trepidation about an Obama win. "We'll believe it when we see it" may easily have been overheard throughout. Though some wild optimists among us with more healthy levels of skepticism knew the best was saved for last.

Down past the three checkpoints, and out on the field cheers erupted from the crowd, most of whom had already stood for nearly hours by then. Returns were announced on the two giant screens erected in the field. Shoulder to shoulder, people turned to their neighbor to chat them up with nervous laughter in an effort to take their minds off the tension.

The many young people managed the wait in the company of their friends and a box of Connie's pizza. The older ones in attendance: they wouldn't dare think of tiring out now. They had waited this long. Most notable of all roars followed Obama's win of Ohio. That felt good. This was the one we had never gotten over. For good reason.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania already occupied the list of electoral votes by the time Ohio joined. When Virginia jumped into the group, it was a done deal. We knew no one could or would steal it from us now. All who had held their breaths were relieved.

Shortly thereafter, the announcement was broadcast and the wildest and most joyous pandemonium began. The words "Barack Obama Elected 44th President" ran along the bottom of the jumbotron. Several older ladies clasped their hands in prayer and relief.  Shouts of "Yes! Yes! Yes!" peppered in between the raucous screams and hollers. Over 6 minutes of continuous cheers ensued as the television pundits and analysts weighed in onscreen.

When after prayer, The Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem was sung, Obama took the stage with the rest of the new First family, he quickly reaffirmed the thoughts of the hundreds of thousands who came to celebrate with him in Chicago. The victory belonged to us. This "victory of ideals" proved to be far more important to the spirit of unity than any issue driven agenda.

As Obama recounted the trials of the numerous volunteers and voters the election brought forth and the decades in the life of 106 year old voter, Ann Nixon Cooper, whose life had seen America's darkest times and most unstoppable determination, tears streamed over the good fortune of our nation's  newest turn of events.

Sent out into the night, a new era waiting to begin, the procession of people poured forth onto Michigan Avenue jubilant. Many fell silent, smiling, arms linked with their friends and family, strains of music from Grant Park filling the air. The crowd stretched all the way down to Roosevelt Road on the south and as far as could be seen to the north.

Soon horns blared, loud roars of "Obama!" "Obama!" erupted time and again. Cameras clicked and Chicago lit with flashbulbs as Americans captured their own moment in history on this one for the history books made in the city of Chicago.

-Christine